The main, central area of the Weyr, since it's no longer a "bowl" like before, people have taken to calling it the courtyard, or more often, the Weyr Yard. Dragons land and take off here while people walk from building to building going along their daily duties.

Did it count as socialising if it got Angela out of the candidate barracks? After her talk with K'rios and Iktomith, the girl did genuinely try her best to get to know the people around her, but there were still times when she considered them a bit overbearing. Needing some time away from the juvenile encounters she shared with her peers on a daily basis, Angela had begun to find peace in an unexpected place: the Sparring Circle.

Normally she only went there when she wanted to prove her own prowess or hone her skills, but she also enjoyed simply observing others during dinner time. She made sure to grab some food along the way, normally a few meat rolls, a healthy cut of cheese, and a small collection of small uncut tubers boiled with garlic. With her meal secure, routine demanded that she venture across the weyrbowl for the Sparring Circle. It was always easy to find a seat in the benches that encircled the ring. There, she would nibble on her food, and pass pieces off to Apollo and Daphne when they behaved themselves. Each piece was savoured by her, for there was no need to rush, but once she did finally finish her meal, Angela would consider a good brawl or wrestle, for sometimes it was good to stretch out her limbs.

Or maybe she would just watch.

Looking about the circle, there was a thin group of men alternating among themselves in the circle. Did she want to join them? Angela did not know for certain, thus she decided to simply watch even once she had had her fill and let her hybrids polish off the rest of her plate.

After the excursion to Walled Hold to free the Daywherhandler and her beast, I'ent felt he could better improve his hand to hand fighting skills. He had picked it up well enough during Weyrlinghood but since graduating he hadn't sparred much. Sometimes Locke would run him through his paces but most often he pretty much relied on past experience instead of regular practice. He focused on other areas such as moving silently and leaving as little trace as possible especially in rural areas. He also worked on scaling buildings and trees so his free time was used up a fair bit. Now however he shuffled his priorities to ensure he hit the sparring circle at least twice a week. When not sparring he worked out in other ways. I'ent doubted he would ever be as good as Locke but he did feel he could hold his own against the average fighter.

He sparred a few rounds with the men who were at the circle that day before stepping out of the ring to cool off. Drying his face and noticed a woman sitting in the stands watching and eating a meal. He didn't recognize her but thought she was younger than he was, maybe a sister of one of the guys sparring perhaps or just somebody who liked to watch. Draping the towel over his shoulder he picked up the pitcher of cool water and poured himself another glass and slowly sipped it, eyes alternating between the next pair squaring off in the Sparring circle and the girl watching from the stands.

(Sorry for my absence. Also, don't mind Solai. I have to use her to get Angela involved or else Angela is going to just sit and watch. She's being shy.)

Dragon Candidate Angela

Where Angela continued to content herself for the meantime by watching the fighters, her sister preferred to be far more involved with her approach. It was no surprise that Solai came waltzing into the circle, her eyes dancing from man to man. Quietly, and with perhaps a touch of resentment, Angela wondered if her sister was looking for a fight or a fling. It was frustratingly difficult to tell, especially after Iktomith's recent success with Tyreth... a second success... a torrid success...

... the very realisation rankled in Angela's thoughts.

Yet Solai played none the wiser as she swaggered up to her little sister and began to unbutton her vest in preparation for a good tumble. "You aren't going to join them?" Not only did the incredulity stain her tone, but it weighed in her delicate brows. "I thought you lived for this." She set her vest aside, and worked her tunic off as well, leaving behind a secure breast band, not that she has much to secure, thought Angela.

"I don't feel like it right now," she petulantly replied.

Solai added the tunic with her vest. "Suit yourself." Before she joined the boys, the greenrider made a quick whistle, gaining Scarletto's attention. "You, stay here with Angie-" she looked to her sister as the ruby fancy flit picked a bleacher that sat above the one the hybrids claimed- "You don't mind, do you?"

"No." It was a lie. Still perturbed by her sister's insouciant demeanour towards the outcome of Tyreth's recent flight, Angela minded everything that had to do with Solai. It rankled in her thoughts that for a second time, her sister had been with K'rios. In the first instance, Angela forgave her, for dragons would be dragons, but a second time? No, Angela was not ready to forgive her sister for the injury, not when it seemed far more purposeful than the last incident. Solai knew how she felt, yet that did not stop Solai from letting her own fancies influence Tyreth's decision.

Therefore, it was with a bitter silence that Angela accepted responsibility for Scarletto.

Wingrider Solai and Green Dragon Tyreth

While Solai did not know I'ent personally, she knew of him. The greenrider made it a point to know her fellow greenriders even she had yet to familiarise herself with them. After all, greenriders needed to stick together, did they not? With a smirk, she walked up to the man as he refreshed himself with a glass of water. "Working hard? Or hardly working?" asked one greenrider to the other in a distinct tease. Solai reached over to pour herself a glass as well, for she felt amazingly parched, and recognised the need to ready herself before venturing into the sparring circle. She might not have Angela's skill, but she liked to believe she had tenacity in abundance, enough to survive the men who worked themselves up in the last candlemark before her arrival.

"I'ent, right? I'm Solai." The femme greenrider likely knew the dragon better than the man, for her mind's ear always enjoyed netting draconic words, but he did not need to know that.

For a few moments I'ent had watched Solai when she approached the girl in the stands but turned away as soon as she started taking clothing off. He didn't realy know why she was doing that, at least not at first. Only when she approached the gathered men hoping to spar in the ring did he realize she was just getting ready to fight.

When she approached and asked a question he assumed was more rhetorical I'ent blinked then gave a shrug. It had been hard work fighting in the ring. He wasn't one to try and stand out but he saw the value of knowing how to fight and defend himself. He wouldn't be any good to Locke if he couldn't hold his own in a fight. "Hard enough I suppose," he added after a pause.

"Yeah, I'm I'ent," he replied simply. He nodded when she went on to give her own name. After the introductions he glanced over at the ring and saw the current pair were still fighting. I'ent had already guessed they were pretty evening matched so knew the bout may take awhile. He didn't know if she expected him to ask her questions or stay quiet till she had something she wanted to say to him. At Walled Hold he knew exactly what to do when it came to women but here, he didn't know what was best. Instinct told him to keep quiet as that was how he was raised but Locke and Shireth as well encouraged him to talk with women, get to know them and not assume all were likely to cut his throat or betray him for kicks.

"Hmm...you know that girl in the stands?" He asked, flicking his gaze towards the girl briefly than focused back on Solai's shoulder. He didn't dare look any lower nor at her eyes. Not till he figured out just what type of woman she was...a Walled Hold woman or the Northern type who didn't seem to think all men were their inferiors.

He seemed a bit cold... submissive even with how his eyes avoided her own. Solai immediately recognised the signs in his demeanour, as well as the slight accent in his voice, that marked the man as one of Walled. Not every Walled man lived so freely as Ao'mek, who so often portrayed himself with confidence and vivacity. Some of them were meek and distrusting due to troubled lives and the misfortunate bequeathed to them when they were born the wrong sex in the wrong place. Thankful of her time with Mul'rec, Solai's exposure to those more sensitive aspects of Walled culture allowed her to recognise when a Walled man distrusted her and why they did so. No matter his frigid response, the smile would remain upon her countenance, even daring to flash a dimpled grin at the man.

I'ent reminded her of someone, a fellow Walledese whom she had grown up admiring. He was once a slave, who won the right to stand on the sands and Impress to a bronze. The greenrider before her nearly looked like a spitting image of D'ran, and for a moment Solai could not help but wonder if there was some sort of relation.

"Hmm...you know that girl in the stands?"

"Why do you ask?" Solai asked playfully in turn. Before he might cast any doubt or suspicion on her for toying with him, Solai made sure to clarify her intentions. "Don't worry, I'ent. Walled, right?" Her smile softened for him as her words became but a whisper for his ears alone. "I might be from the north... but I've seen enough to understand. Don't worry, I'm an ally, and I'm not going to hurt you. We are greenriders after all, and I've found it best if we stick together regardless of sex or gender, rather than let those things drive us apart." She wished she had something to show for it, a symbol or branding that secretly showed her efforts for the cause in Walled. Yet Mul'rec's movement was slow and cautious. With the dangers of their efforts always lingering, spying, listening, the brownrider refused to give any sort of indication their cause existed... aside from when the product of it found itself scattered across Bottoms in the form of pamphlets denouncing the powers of the Walled Government, begging the citizens to unite in a tumultuous and violent revolution.

Though the tone was playful it did put I'ent on edge, worried he had offended by asking. Before he could do or say anything he heard her trying to assure him not to worry. Maybe she meant well, with her guess that he was from Walled Hold but it was all just words to him. Even the whole statement about greenriders sticking together didn't do much to put him at ease. Walled Hold was lead by women greenriders, they were held in high esteem. He was a greenrider yes but he was still a male and he would never rise to the level of a woman. Not even in New Atricis, no greenrider hold positions of power none that he was aware of anyway.

He shifted his weight, glancing briefly at her face before looking down at her shoulder again. It did sound like she wanted to be friends but I'ent just didn't know. The woman wasn't the first greenrider he knew but Cehrazad at least knew what it was like living in the Bottoms, to struggle just to survive. What did a Northerner know of the life of somebody poor from The Bottoms?

"Just curious," I'ent responded, finding it easier to just answer the question even if the Solai didn't mean it to be one he had to answer. He just didn't know what to say about her claim to understand what it was like living on the streets. It did occur to him she may know others from Walled who talked about life there, he wasn't the first from The Bottoms who came to live at New Atricis after all.

Her words seemed to ease him little, for he failed to hold her gaze for long. Instead, they averted her own, falling away from her face and onto... well... not her face.

"Just curious."

I'ent's answer was also evasive. What did he mean by "curious"? As the older sister, Solai naturally felt protective of Angela. It was her reason for keeping K'rios' company longer than normal at the last flight... well... part of... but a reason nonetheless. The greenrider had wanted to pick the pewterrider's brain, and find out just who this man was whom her sister crushed on so hard. He was older, not by Solai's standards, but certainly by Angela's as far as she was concerned.

Solai cast a glance at Angela who busied her eyes with the match transpiring at the centre of the circle. Just curious? She looked back to I'ent, wondering if that was the entire truth. "She's my little sister, Angela," Solai finally answered before looking back to her sister once more. "She's a candidate, but don't let that fool you-" She smirked to I'ent "-She knows how to handle herself here, and if you ask her nicely, I'm sure she'll be willing to put her prowess on display for you." Solai teased I'ent with a wink before turning once more to Angela, and gave the girl a wave when their eyes met.

Her sister nodded back, albeit with a touch of uncertainty, and then returned her attention back to the fight.

Was she playing matchmaker? Maybe. Anyone was better for her sister than a pewterrider old enough to be her father. Honestly, Angela needed to meet people closer to her age, and I'ent seemed like a good one for that.

Learning the other girl was Solai's sister had I'ent expecting a 'stay away from her' warning but instead he was told Angela could handle herself. I'ent didn't even consider that wasn't a possibility, every girl he met so far and not just at Walled Hold, was capable of handling themselves.

"'Course she can," he responded. "I don't need her to prove it to me...besides, Candidates have to be fit if they want to be a Dragonrider...or I suppose a Wherhandler as well. Besides, don't think I ever met a girl who couldn't handle herself."

The wink Solai gave him had him wondering if maybe he misinterpreted just what Solai meant by 'her prowess on display'. Looking over at Angela he did see she was cute but he wouldn't want her displaying herself to prove that to him. Nor should she do that for anybody she hadn't even met. Unless she really wanted to, not that he thought she was that type.

I'ent's eyes looked back at Solai when she revealed Angela was shy but the way her eyes danced I'ent didn't know if she was joking or just teasing him, maybe even daring him to make the first move with her sister? I'ent didn't think he would be bold enough to just walk up to Angela with her sister watching however. For all he knew Solia was hoping he would do just that so she could jump him.

Overhead Shireth was stretching her wings and she noticed her Precious talking to some woman. Curious she found a place to land and made her way towards the stands. She knew she was much to big and heavy to actually climb into the Stands but knew she could get pretty close and see what was going on with her Rider by the fighting ring.

<You really need to pull back on the parania Precious or you'll never get to meet girls properly.>

I'ent hadn't expected Shireth to butting into his thoughts as he had left her sunning herself on the heights and figured she'll remain there till he was done here. Looking around he spotted her lurking by the Stands, pretty close to where Angela was sitting. As far as he could tell Shireth hadn't realized Angela was part of the worry he was having.

Solai's acting like she's trying to set me up to take a fall and I rather be paranoid about that then risk getting my teeth kicked in by her or her younger sister, I'ent explained.

Shireth snorted and gave Solai a look before speaking to her directly, >Stop spooking my Precious, he's nervous around you females, he had lots of trouble with them back home. Just be upfront with him, no teasing and he'll get it through his thick skull you ain't setting him up for a fall or other such nonsense.>

"'Course she can. I don't need her to prove it to me...besides, Candidates have to be fit if they want to be a Dragonrider...or I suppose a Wherhandler as well. Besides, don't think I ever met a girl who couldn't handle herself."

Her smile broadened, pleased more than anything else. How many times had she come to the circle, only for the northern boys to shoo her away because of her sex? How many times had she been forced to prove herself in order to do what the men so easily took for granted? Due to her own tender age, even Angela had a harder time, even more so than Solai, spitting in the face of her own capabilities, but other boys Angela's age were never once questioned, especially by the northerners. However, Solai also understood the flip side of that coin, about how the boys were treated in Walled. She wished no ill will those who never harmed her or those whom she loved, but in a cultural sense, it pleased her to know there were men out there who did truly understand the struggles of northern women... and perhaps more southern ones than they realised.

You really need to pull back on the parania Precious or you'll never get to meet girls properly.

[Enter DRAGON], Solai thought in more theatric terms, and strictly to herself with the faintest smirk. Unknown to Rider and Dragon, Shireth's words also seeped into Solai's mind with ease. She guessed that it was I'ent's dragon. How could she not when the dragon hovered like that by the circle, garnering herself with even Angela's startled attention? The Solai agreed with his better half entirely.

Stop spooking my Precious, he's nervous around you females, he had lots of trouble with them back home. Just be upfront with him, no teasing and he'll get it through his thick skull you ain't setting him up for a fall or other such nonsense.

I was upfront with him, Solai spoke back to the dragon with no sign of difficulty or surprise, but the greenrider took her words to heart. "Precious? That's a cute pet name. Tyreth used to call me 'My child' or 'little one', since I was so young when we bonded." She looked to I'ent, and then glanced back to her sister. "Look, I tease, but I promise you that I mean nothing by it other than to put a smile on your face and maybe make you blush. Obviously, I failed miserably to break the ice with you, but... normally it works." And that was the truth. She looked back to Angela who had begun to fidget with her hands, a telling sign she was ready to show her stuff. "Where we come from, boy's aren't so kind and thoughtful. They actually do belittle us women on a daily basis... or worse. Angie grew up with that, and so did I. So she's going to be scared shitless of opening her mouth, and saying something to you that's going to incur your ire and ridicule. But I didn't think you were like that, not that I've seen or heard about you. I came here and picked you, because you seemed like a nice guy who's going to treat my sister right in there-" she motioned with her head to the circle itself "-and maybe I thought you'd be able to put a smile on her face better than I tried to do with you. As I said, she's shy, but she knows how to handle herself and have fun once you get her to stop being so timid."

It was surprisingly easy to hear Solai when she responded, Shireth hadn't met many humans besides her rider who could communicate with her without their vocal voice. Shireth didn't let this distract her over the fact Solai had been making her Precious nervous however. She was honest however and Shireth realized she hadn't been trying to upset her I'ent or spook him which usually was the case. Shireth wished her rider wasn't so easily put on edge when it came to the females of his species.

"What?" I'ent stared at Solai in confusion. Her comment about Shireth's pet name for him throw him as he didn't realize Shireth had spoken to her. Looking around he spotted her near the Stands and realized she must have been talking to Solai and clearly referred to him as Precious. He sighed. He didn't have time to confirm anything as Solai tried to explain she had only been teasing him to make him smile or blush, which didn't succeed. Well he might have blushed if she had been a bit more clear just what she was implying other than sparring with her sister. He felt no need to be embarrassed by that, mostly he just felt it was pointless. He wouldn't fight a woman, not because he felt they were too delicate to hit or any such Northern delusion but due to self preservation. One didn't hit a woman in The Bottoms unless one had either power over them or a death wish. He had neither so he never considered doing so. It was different when training how to fight among his fellow Weyrlings, they were learning as a group but even then he fought better against other guys, the girls he just focused on defense whenever he could.

He then realized it sounded like Solai was hoping to hook him up with her sister and that certainly wasn't why I'ent had been looking at her. Well maybe a little, as he did find her attractive, but mostly he was curious as to why she picked the sparring ring as a place to sit and have lunch.

"I wouldn't do anything like that...what Northern boys do. Not who I am," he responded. It was the truth, he would never abuse a woman or treat her meanly. Then again just getting him to trust a woman enough to interact would be the greater challenge. But would a Northern woman be easily to relate to since they aren't ingrained with the fact Women were superior to men and all men most obey them?

<Oh yes, that was quite clear. He at least is considering getting to know your sister.> Shireth returned, comforted that Solai was being kind to her Precious. >He needs female friends so he can understand they aren't all out to get him. It's a work in progress but with my help and the help of a male friend, he's improving.>